More thorny whips and vines erupted from the Briar Crownsprite’s body, curling and coiling like thousands of venomous snakes as they lashed out at everything around her.
The Skyreach Giant tried to grab them again, but this time the Briar Crownsprite was ready. The new whips were covered in barbed spikes. As soon as the spikes pierced the Skyreach Giant’s flesh, they took root and started feeding on its flesh. Every time the Skyreach Giant pulled away, it tore off strips of its own skin and muscle. The sight was brutal.
Han Wu was about to summon the Magma Locusts when he realized that the Briar Crownsprite could easily redirect their flames and use them to burn his own forces. As such, he summoned his Glutton Locusts.
A massive swarm of Glutton Locusts surged toward the Briar Crownsprite. Wherever the thorny whips and vines struck, the locusts simply devoured them. Their relentless feeding weakened the vines considerably, and many of the Glutton Locusts gained energy in the process.
Han Wu could see that the Skyreach Giant was a poor match for the Briar Crownsprite, so he ordered a swap. The Lust Umbral Demoness and Yinglong triggered Fusion Evolution once more. Combined with the Dark Courage Shield, they transformed into the Subcosm Dark Dragoness.
The Dark Dragoness activated War Dragon Form and charged the Briar Crownsprite in full combat gear. She shredded every vine and whip in her path before reaching the Briar Crownsprite and slamming her into the ground.
The World Tree possessed nearly limitless life force, and so did the Briar Crownsprite. Their fusion had virtually inexhaustible regenerative power. Even Han Wu found that difficult to overcome.
The Briar Crownsprite seemed convinced she couldn’t lose. She could endure a hundred blows, a thousand, even ten thousand, and recover from every one of them. Han Wu’s Digital Sprites had no such luxury. A single serious wound could spell the end.
Despite being pinned to the ground, the Briar Crownsprite showed no concern. She was already regenerating and planning her next attack.
The Dark Dragoness devised a solution. While holding the Briar Crownsprite down, she tore off one of her arms and flung it away. Fresh plant tissue immediately sprouted from the stump, and a new arm regrew in the blink of an eye.
The Dark Dragoness kept ripping off limbs and throwing them aside. What looked like a petty catfight was actually a calculated feeding strategy.
The Gluttony Heavenly Dog swallowed every severed limb through Moon Eater. The energy gained from digesting those limbs accumulated rapidly, pushing the Gluttony Heavenly Dog beyond its limits. It broke through from the Microcosm rank to the Subcosm rank in no time.
Now that it was stronger, Moon Eater didn’t stop at severed limbs. The Gluttony Heavenly Dog swallowed the Briar Crownsprite whole. No matter how many thorny whips and vines the Briar Crownsprite produced, none could withstand the Heavenly Dog’s stomach acid. It could corrode stars and moons, let alone a plant-type Digital Sprite.
After several cycles, the World Tree fused within the Briar Crownsprite was the first to falter. It could regenerate infinitely, but each time the Gluttony Heavenly Dog swallowed it, a portion of its power was absorbed. If this continued for a few thousand cycles, the Gluttony Heavenly Dog would rank up again, making escape from its stomach impossible.
The World Tree was afraid. It was genuinely terrified of nurturing its own nemesis. In the end, it surrendered to Han Wu. Even in defeat, it retained its dignity. It declared that, as the Will of the Sprite Civilization, it would never accept any demands from Han Wu. If he pushed further, it would file a complaint with the Gift God King and let her decide. It believed that Shaura would side with it for the sake of the Sprite Civilization’s development.
What the World Tree didn’t expect was Han Wu’s complete lack of restraint. Instead of backing down, he ordered the Dark Dragoness to tear it apart again. The Gluttony Heavenly Dog eagerly feasted on its severed limbs and grew visibly healthier, its skinny frame filling out with vitality.
The World Tree’s complaint to Shaura went nowhere. No reply ever came, and its hope turned to despair. It refused to believe that Shaura hadn’t received its plea. She had simply chosen to leave it on read.
Han Wu delivered his ultimatum. “You’ve got two options. One, give me a World Tree’s fruit. Two, I kill you, and the Sprite Civilization loses its World Tree. Pick one.”
If the World Tree had tear ducts, it would have been sobbing.
“I can only produce one fruit per century!” it protested.
“So you’re choosing death? Fine by me. Dark Dragoness, Heavenly Dog, finish it!” Han Wu ordered immediately.
The Dark Dragoness and the Gluttony Heavenly Dog advanced eagerly.
The World Tree finally gave up and howled, “I’ll give it to you! It’s just one fruit! Fine!”
It forced itself to break its own biological rules, burning through most of its life force to produce a fruit on the spot. The fruit ripened quickly, and the World Tree presented it to Han Wu.
He noticed that this one wasn’t a bouncing, chubby baby like the last one. It was just a plain fruit, so he asked, “You’re not trying to pass off a fake, are you?”
The World Tree was on the verge of tears. It had burned most of its life force to produce this fruit, and now it was being accused of offering a counterfeit? The insult was cruel!
Thankfully, the Wrath War Tyrannosprite King recognized the fruit immediately. It was clearly inferior to the previous one, which the World Tree had nurtured over a long period, but it was functional enough to serve its purpose.
The Wrath War Tyrannosprite King reluctantly ate it. Vines burst from its body as the Guardian Seal was erased. It was finally free, a Digital Sprite that was no longer bound to the World Tree. It could now honor its contract and serve Han Wu for a hundred years.
Han Wu turned back to the World Tree with a new demand. “My other native Digital Sprites want to leave the Sprite Civilization too. Do they also need to eat your fruits? Hurry up and produce a few hundred more for my forces.”
The World Tree wanted to cry, but it had no tears. It was completely drained. Even if Han Wu squeezed it dry, it couldn’t produce another fruit anytime soon. Besides, native Digital Sprites like the Greed Neo Vamdesprite didn’t even need a fruit to leave. They could simply walk out.
The World Tree suspected that Han Wu was exploiting it purely for the sake of exploitation, but it had no proof.
In the end, the Gift God King intervened through a donation message and persuaded Han Wu to leave the World Tree alone.
The death sentence was lifted, but that didn’t mean that the World Tree escaped without consequences. Han Wu declared that he would slaughter every World Tree guardian in the forest to teach the World Tree a painful lesson.